Compromise, Death, and Life
by Emyralld
Summary: A few interactions between Annie and Auggie after an op gone wrong and an unfortunate encounter with Mercer. A&A, One-Shot, Canon, Future Fic


Haven't written anything in years, so it's a bit rough. If you'd like to give me any _constructive _criticism, you know what to do.

Enjoy!

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><p>Annie hid in the shadows, fighting to temper her breathing in a fleeting reprieve. She paused to assess the damage, lifting the edge of her blouse and wincing as the cloth stuck to her skin. Her heart beat wildly in her chest.<p>

_Crap._

Too much blood and very little time.

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, gathering her strength and mentally recalling her training.

"Annie," a voice breathed out.

Immediately her eyes snapped open, hazel meeting cool blue. Those eyes didn't hold a candle to chocolate brown.

* * *

><p>"<em>Mission's compromised." <em>

_Muffled shots sounded off behind her. She grunted but otherwise ignored the sharp pain in her side. _

_"Our informant is dead. I need an out. Now." _

_Annie's eyes were calculated, assessing her surroundings. _

"_Left," Auggie's calm, even baritone crackled in her earpiece, hardly acknowledging the chaos she knew he heard in the background. _

_"Toward the west wing. Take the stairs to the roof. Sending a chopper your way." _

_As she rounded the corner, the edges of her lips lifted in a small grin. She knew he was all but calm inside, but she'd allow the slight sense of comfort – albeit the pretense of one. He was aware that she had been wounded, but he'd be strong for her. He always was. _

"_ETA?" It felt like she was running down endless hallways. _

"_2300. You'll be on your own for a little while." For once, he sounded smallest bit uncertain._

_She took a quick glance at her watch._

"_Take a right here," he instructed._

"_I'm a big girl, Anderson." she bantered lightly. "Seven minutes in a dead zone isn't going to kill me." _

_She was met with an uncomfortable silence and faltered for a moment. There really were no guarantees between this case and her absurd knack for endangering herself. As is, she had undermined Mercer. He was as ruthless as he was passionate._

_Her thoughts wandered to informant she had been conversing with mere minutes ago. Later she'd have time to grieve another death on the job. _

_She subconsciously pressed a hand to her side as she ran. Now wasn't the time. Mercer did what he had to and now so would she._

"_Auggie?" Her voice softened slightly. Screw professionalism._

"_Yeah." _

"_I love you."_

"_Save it for later. Just get the hell out of there," he groused out. _

_An amused look crossed her face. He wasn't fooling anyone._

"_You got it, Captain. I'm going in," she spotted her mark and creaked open a large metal door._

"_Annie!" _

_She hesitated before crossing the threshold. _

" _I love you too." _

_She smiled to herself and made a turn for the stairs. All sound cut from the earpiece. Seven minutes and she was home free._

* * *

><p>She was down to a meager three minutes. She did <em>not<em> have time for this.

"It was accident, Annie."

She looked intently at Mercer from the line of her gun and stood her ground as he carefully advanced toward her.

"The hell it was," she murmured as she cocked her weapon.

"You're too good of a shot. You and I both know it. Take another step and I won't hesitate to put a bullet between those blue eyes of yours."

He paused.

"Annie, put the gun down.."

* * *

><p><em>"Show me again?" She smiled as she felt Auggie's lips curve against the top of her bare shoulder. <em>

_They'd play this game if she wanted. He made no complaint. _

_It was this man she loved. _

_This man, he saved for her alone. He wasn't just her happy-go-lucky, tech-savvy, visually impaired CIA handler. Here, between the two of them, he was her best friend – the love of her life._

_"Close your eyes. Breathe and find your stance. Feet apart." His hands followed the curves of her sides and splayed across her torso, resting above her hips. _

_"Keep this taut. Good."_

_He rewarded her with teasing kisses along the column of her neck – an enchanting mix of hot air and soft lips ghosting across her skin._

_"And then?" she inquired breathily. _

_It was taking all her resolve to focus. His hands gently ran down her arms, forming hers along his steady ones. Resolve that was swiftly crumbling._

_"Then you open your pretty eyes, aim. Fire."_

_She set down the gun and turned in his arms._

_"How did that go again? Open my eyes," she gazed up at him._

_ His sightless eyes held so much emotion and expression. Love. Adoration._

_"Aim," he murmured as he slightly lowered his head._

_Her fingers reached to tangle themselves in his hair as she tilted her head up. She captured his lips, simmering with a passion they had built over time. _

_"Fire," she whispered against his mouth. _

_She abruptly turned around and quickly fired off three shots into the bull's-eye before turning back to him. _

_"Right?"_

_He blinked. _

_"Yeah, Annie. Something like that.."_

_She glanced back at the target with a wry grin. _

_"Pretty good, if I say so myself."_

_He raised a brow at her. _

_"I bet."_

_They broke out into laughter._

* * *

><p>While the farm had taught her <em>enough<em>, Auggie had painstakingly helped her fine-tune her skills and abilities, making each one second nature. She was glad.

In split seconds, things had turned awry - though she wasn't surprised. Mercer was a quick draw as much as a good shot. They were at a stand off – the epitome of irony for the former lovers.

"Annie.."

She had felt something for him a long time ago, but after he had left her to fall apart, she learned better. He wouldn't haze her again.

"I've got places to go, people to see. You're in the way, Mercer."

She hadn't taken her eyes off his and something told her that he wasn't taking her seriously. Staring down the barrel of his gun with two minutes left, she was _very_ serious. It would be his life or hers.

"Forgive me." And with a pull of the trigger, he was gone.

She leaned against the stair railing, grasping at her side – the adrenaline had worn off and fresh waves of pain overtook her. She steeled herself and without a glance back, she made her way up the final set of stairs.

Overhead, she heard the steady beat of helicopter blades slices through the air.

Twenty-three seconds.

She staggered through the doorway to the roof and as soon as she hit open air, she heard the familiar crackle in her earpiece. Blonde hair whipped around her face, stinging her skin.

"I told you seven minutes wasn't going to kill me," she teased weakly as she made her way to the chopper.

"The shit hit the fan twice over – that's what you sound like."

She rolled her eyes, "I love you too."

Annie cried out as two operatives hauled her into the chopper.

Once she was safe, the reality of the past ten minutes crashed over her like a wave.

She'd never take death easily.

Annie woke up to Auggie's head in her lap and the steady sound of her heartbeat in the monitor nearby. Clinical white walls surrounded her, save for a large window overlooking the DC skyline.

Her eyes went back to the tousled mop of brown hair and she ran her fingers through it affectionately, toying with a small curl. He stirred at the contact and gently grasped her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm before leaning into it.

"How long was I out this time?" she asked softly as she skimmed her thumb across his cheek.

"Thirty-four hours," he answered with a tinge of exhaustion. "You needed a blood transfusion."

"Mercer's dead," she spoke with a strange detachment.

The beginnings of a sunrise bathed the room in a golden glow.

"I know."

If he had noticed, he didn't ask about the tone in her voice.

"I'm glad.."

She brought his hand to her lips, pressing them against his knuckles. She lingered on his ring before interlacing their fingers.

He squeezed gently, silently offering her the strength she had grown to depend on.

And then she broke.

"Oh, Auggie, I'm so glad..," she breathed out in a strangled cry of relief.

Careful of her side, he sat next to her on the hospital bed and drew her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head, murmuring soothing, sweet nothings against her hair.

"You're safe, love." He pulled away slightly to brush at a few stray tears on her cheek. "You both are."

She made a quizzical sound in her throat. "Who?"

"The bullet barely missed the womb." Auggie tenderly laid a hand on her flat stomach. "The hell if I let go out on another op for the next eight months," he bit out protectively.

They had made something – someone together.

She laughed breathlessly, cupping either side of his jaw before crashing her lips against his.

In the midst of death had come life.

* * *

><p>Annie panted haggardly in scant relief. For a moment, Annie was glad for Auggie's blindness. She didn't want him to <em>see <em>her like this. He sat next to her with his hand gripping hers, offering his strength like he so often did.

"One more, love. The doctor said it's crowning," he coached in that calm, even voice he saved for ops. It appeased her nerves the slightest bit, but it was enough.

Annie gave a final, guttural cry, focusing her strength in the midst of the contraction. Her body sagged as soon as heard the shrill cry of their child.

She shook her head as the doctor called out the gender of the child.

"We have a boy, Annie!"

Immediately gone was the calm he assumed during her labor. He could hardly contain himself and kissed her adoringly.

She smiled weakly against his lips, "Auggie, don't you dare say it.."

"Say what?" He grinned and rested his forehead against hers. "I told you s.."

Her lips met his, effectively muffling the end of his sentence.

"I said not to say it," she teased, pulling back to cradle the newborn being placed in her arms.

"Asher Dylan, it is," he uttered triumphantly as she studied their baby fondly.

"He has my eye color. My nose." She looked up at Auggie in mirth, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "The rest is all you."

He laughed in wonder. "I love you.. so much."

"Yeah, yeah. I love you too."


End file.
